David Taylor is widely regarded as one of the best American wrestlers of all time. So, it came as no surprise that when he decided to retire from competing, he was quickly offered a prestigious coaching position that matched his status. Taylor achieved this milestone when he was announced as the new coach of Oklahoma State University. Taking over from the legendary coach John Smith is no small task. Smith, who is often considered the greatest American wrestler of all time, recently retired from coaching, and Taylor was seen as the natural successor to fill his shoes. He acknowledged the pressure that he’ll get because of being the successor of such a man.

However, he said that he thrives in these situations and has created certain priorities from this job. For this, he has hired Roman Bravo-Young as part of his staff which would lead Oklahoma to glory above Penn State. Their main project is said to be Oklahoma’s biggest prospect right now, Daton Fix. The American wrestler has shown huge potential mat and needs the right guidance to be turned into a machine. Taylor wants to do that as his main goal.

David Taylor’s aim to develop Daton Fix into an established wrestler

During David Taylor’s introductory press conference at Oklahoma State University, he emphasized how big the Daton Fix project is going to be. He understands his potential and believes that if molded correctly, he could go on to achieve huge heights including an Olympic medal. He said, “Our very first order of business is Daton Fix….We sat down and kind of talked about what does it look like for him and surrounding him with people who can help do that.” 

Fix has shown throughout his collegiate career that he has what it takes. However, he has been really unlucky. He became the first-ever four-time national runner-up at the NCAA. What’s even crazier is that he lost only seven matches throughout his career, but four of those came in the finals. This might be a mental hurdle as he is genuinely one of the best prospects in the university. He is the first five-time All-American ever in OSU.

With Roman Bravo-Young now his training partner, he could learn some tricks from there. There’s always Taylor’s plethora of experience which could come in handy.

David Taylor’s huge challenges as the new coach of Oklahoma State University

David Taylor, in his early days as the new coach of Oklahoma State University, has quickly grasped the challenges ahead. Taking over from John Smith, a legend in American wrestling, is no small feat. Taylor noticed that the athletes were not in peak condition and were impacted by the uncertainty following Smith’s retirement. He’s committed to revamping their health and fitness regimes to help them reach their full potential.

He also said that they’ll stay here only if they want to. “You’ll be here, only if you want to be here. We wanna give you that choice.” He believes that only an individual knows what’s best for themselves. As he recruits his coaching staff, filling it with exceptional people every day, it seems like Taylor means business. Oklahoma State could do wonders this year, potentially knocking Penn State off their perch.